This blog will share elements of the stories of The Homeplace Saga included in this family saga series of novels and stories spanning the early 1800s to the present time. Somewhat like websites related to television shows and movies, elements of the stories and background materials will be included here that may not be explicitly included in the published works. Your participation through comments and questions will enhance the stories and your enjoyment of them.

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Friday, April 2, 2010

Research for "The Homeplace Revisted" - dog

Research for The Homeplace Revisted - dog

As I continue my research for the followup novel to Back to the Homeplace, The Homeplace Revisited, you might have noticed we have already chosen our cover art (to the right, scroll down a bit) - dog and horse by the barn. Today, I want to work on a little detail, with you, if you will help me - the dog.

More of you are "dog people" than I am, I am sure. I need a description of the dog; breed, temperament, etc. - and a name. These are very subjective, of course, so I expect a lot of divergence of opinions, but that is fine.

Christopher Ogden, the young lawyer in The Homeplace Revisited, will be adopting this dog as a grown dog, not a pup, from the long time local vet, Doc Evans. He will keep the dog at the horse stables at the Homeplace, where his "best friend," Jennifer Bevins, is setting up her new large animal veterinary practice, in cooperation with Doc Evans, who is nearing retirement. You met Christopher and Jennifer in Back to the Homeplace, of course, but it is now 1996, not 1987.

If you do not already have your copy of Back to the Homeplace, you may want to order it, now.

While not instant gratification, but as a sincere "Thank you!" to Followers of this blog, both the person who provides the description I use, and the person who first suggests the name for the dog that I use, will receive an autographed copy of one of the first available copies of The Homeplace Revisited. I know you like the dog. What can you tell me about him/her? Oh, look, another variable. Is it a male or female?

5 comments:

I am not a dog person; I am a cat person. Big dogs, especially, do not appeal to me. However, there was one special dog in my life that I will never forget. My brother's childhood dog, Rusty, was a big loveable rust-colored Boxer breed. He had floppy ears, not cropped in the traditional boxer style. When full grown, he was like a big overgrown puppy...very affectionate, playful, rambunctious, intelligient; loved children of all ages as well as adults. He was also very friendly towards other animals, including my cat. My cat used to tease and torment Rusty mercilessly, but Rusty took it all in stride. I can still see my cat chasing Rusty around the garden in the backyard. Rusty had his big wooden doghouse in the backyard, and more times than not I would find my cat napping in the doghouse on a summer afternoon, while Rusty napped just outside its' front door in the shade of a tree. Rusty became the neighborhhod mascot in our (then) small town in Southern California. All of the neighbors near and far knew Rusty by name and loved him. He would strut alongside my brother riding his bicycle around the neighborhood, proud to go visiting. He accompanied us on family camping trips and loved romping in the woods, mountains, and streams with my two brothers. He always reminded me of the character dog "Old Yeller" in the old Disney classic, not so much in appearance, but in loveability. Rusty loved nothing more than being wraped in the arms of someone he loved, getting his head and ears scratched. He could also be a fierce protector against any perceived threat to his loved ones; he was not a random barker, but there were more than a few nights that we heard his barking in the backyard to ward off some real or imagined predator in the dark. I will always love Rusty, and alway smiss him, just as I will always love and miss my big brother Dave.

Looks like a German Shepherd, a working dog that originated in Germany from herding and farm dogs. German Shepherds are a larger breed dog that are intellegent, very loyal, and alert. Many GS are used for guide dogs for the blind, watchdogs, and for police and military work today.

Since it is a male figure who takes the dog, I think the dog would be a male too. As for the name, well I can think of many but it would probably be Trapper or Major.

When I worked at the local funeral home in the mid 1990's I answered the phone one rainy, Saturday afternoon..A woman asked if I would come over and help her plan her funeral..When I showed up at her door she answered it with a pot bellied pig by her side named Judge Homer..I soon found out that i would be called to visit her often in the future and that Judge Homer liked chocolate....Two things that would often bring a smile to my face ...It seems that my new friend had been to court over her pet pig so many times that she named him after the Judge...Homer Wright is a great friend of mine, I will now have to remember totell him that he had a cutest ever pet pot bellied pig after him...lol I would name the dog Homer

He's a nervous dog, obsessive about protecting the family and a little anxious about being left alone. He worries that he'll be left alone, for good. At night he hides his owner's shoes, just to make sure he can't leave him without him knowing.Names? Dutch, Cooper, or Jansen

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About Me

Born in Coon Rapids, Iowa. William Leverne Smith was born and raised on a Midwestern farm. A passion for family history and genealogy studies provides background for his writing. He and his wife live in a cabin in the Missouri Ozarks.

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